DLA016-0016  Translation

Vienna

1. May [19]26.

Dear Friend,

I was very pleased about your messages from America. Strangely enough, the letter you wrote me just before your departure for Europe arrived only a few days later than the card you sent me on board the “Olympic”. I imagine that, for one, the wife of President Coolidge must be very happy with the portrait you painted of her [4171]. Even in a photograph, it looks most attractive. I shall see to it that some of your observations made to me shall reach public attention. But it would be even better if you would quickly dictate to your secretary the impressions gained in America; maybe you painted more than the four prominent personalities aforementioned.[1] It is very wise of you to take a break from portrait painting for a while and, as planned, tackle the projected composition of a large battle scene for your own satisfaction and pleasure.

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I hope you have found your wife and children well. Some time ago I sent your son Stephen[2] regards through the wife of a Swiss gentleman living in Zurich; I wrote myself to him, too, and recommended that he should visit my friend Dr. Streit who lives in Zurich, who has been Greek ambassador in Vienna for many years.[3] He is a learned, well-educated as well as a charming and reliable man, who was previously professor for International Law at the university in Athens and also Foreign Minister, and it is well worth getting to know him. He had also taken part in the London conferences in 1913 together with Venizelos.[4] I have written to Streit and he replied he would be very pleased to receive your son. Stephen has as yet not replied. I have also corresponded with your son Paul[5] in Oxford regarding my memorandum to the League of Nations. But it has become clear to me that Professor Murray is prejudiced in this matter.[6] That does not surprise me. After all, I know that in order to carry out something of reason one encounters many obstacles. I learn from your letter

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that you plan to be in Rapallo in the summer.[7] Does that mean you have given up on your plan to visit Gastein, although I can assure you that the thermal waters so rich in radium there would be very good for you. They refresh and rejuvenate. A while ago I spent two days in Coburg as the guest of King Ferdinand of Bulgaria.[8] We talked about you, amongst other things. He is a very interesting, intellectual and highly educated man and I thoroughly enjoyed his conversation during the two days alone with him.

I am busy working on the formulation of a book about the collapse of the Habsburgs and the break-away of Italy from its allies. When this has been accomplished – which could be within a year – it would matter a great deal to me to have an English – possibly also American – edition of the book, and I would then hope to enlist your kind advice.

Today is the 1st of May and Vienna’s ground trembles under the steps of the workers battalions. It is not for nothing a prominent statesman said to me sometime ago “Vienna is a red island in Europe”. I don’t begrudge people

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their eight hour working day even though mine is twelve, sometimes even fourteen hours, and it won’t be much different for you either. But these endless demonstrations of the “Reds”' are beginning to be tiresome and alarming.

You have not mentioned your memoirs for a long time. Without a doubt, your recent American impressions will be a valuable addition.

My regards to you and Mrs. de Laszlo and all your children – including Henry who I am sure will make his way and his fortune in America[9] – I remain yours in friendship devoted

S. Münz

Editorial Note:

Sigmund Münz (1859-1934), Austrian journalist and writer; for biographical notes see [6377].

AG (summary)

03/2009

&

LV (translation)

11/04/2021

[1] See de László’s reply, DLA016-0029, letter from de László to Sigmund Münz, 15 May 1926

[2] Stephen Philip de Laszlo (1904-1939) [4375], second son of Philip and Lucy de László

[3] Georgios Streit (1868-1948), Greek lawyer and professor. Legal advisor to King Constantine I, Streit was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1913-14. Served as a Judge at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague after 1929.

[4] Eleftherios Kyriakou Venizelos (1864-1936), Greek statesman who was elected eight times as Prime Minister of Greece (1910-1920) and (1928 to-1933)

[5] Paul Leonardo de Laszlo (1906-1983) [13214], third son of Philip and Lucy de László

[6] Professor George Gilbert Aimé Murray (1866-1957), Australian-born British classical scholar and public intellectual. Murray was Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford from 1908 until 1936. See DLA016-0009, letter from Münz to de László, undated, in which Münz writes that he is sending a copy of his proposal for the creation of a Commission for Education within the League of Nations to Murray as his “word has important influence in Geneva”.

[7] In a letter from Lucy to de László earlier that year, she writes of her wish to spend the summer in Rapallo, “to bathe in the sea & sun … you will have lovely subjects for pictures, & the boys will have the sea - Don’t you agree this would be nice”, DLA028-0023, letter from Lucy to de László, 18 February 1926. In September of 1926, de László travelled to Venice, the Tyrol, Bolzano and Sarentino..

[8] King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (1861-1948) [3937]

[9] Henry Guinness de Laszlo (1901-1967) [11664], eldest of the five sons of Philip and Lucy de László. In 1926, Henry obtained a PhD in Chemistry from Zurich University, and moved thereafter to America where he became Associate Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) from 1927-1929.